Humbug review and CD + LP giveaway.
Remember when the Arctic Monkeys were supposed to be the next big thing? It was back when a bunch of new bands were hitting the scene and everyone was drinking the We Are Scientists Kool-Aid. It was late 2005, and the Arctic Monkeys were the talk of the town, the saviors of indie rock, the heir apparent to the newly built Franz Ferdinand throne. “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor” had people dancing across a number of continents, and their cheekily titled album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, was the fastest selling debut album in UK history.
It was a fantastic debut album, and the Monkeys had a good mix of musical chops and cocky confidence. They seemed disinterested in label games, willing to alienate radio and label heads in favor of a grassroots fan-base.
But despite not seeking press (or perhaps because of it) there was a fair amount of media involved in the construction and rise of the Arctic Monkeys. Sure, the band had built a committed following online, they had brought the noise on their debut, and they had crafted a bunch of really danceable rock tunes. But a debut album is by no means a body of work, and when NME named Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not the 5th best British record of all time, people started to scratch their heads. The follow-up LP from the group, Favourite Worst Nightmare, saw all 12 tracks crack the top 200 on the UK singles chart. And then we started to get nervous.
Well, the nerves probably started earlier than that, but suffice it to say that not everyone bought that initial buzz hook, line, and sinker. It seemed a bit like we were pinning big hopes to a young brash band that might not follow through. Were we just swallowing whatever they songs they gave us and proclaiming excellence out of fear of it being anything less than incredible? Were the Arctic Monkeys just The Killers on a one year delay? Only time will tell, as the saying goes, and that time has come. Now, shortly before the release of the band’s third full length, Humbug, we find ourselves in the modern dilemma of pinning great expectations on a band that didn’t ask for them. The Arctic Monkeys have to prove that they are grown up before they have actually grown up. Continue reading →